DHARAMSHALA: One of the two Tibetan monks from Labrang Monastery in northeastern Tibet’s Labrang region, Jigme Gyatso, who was arrested for his role in exposing the Chinese government crackdown on peaceful Tibetan protesters across Tibet in 2008, is in critical situation. He and Golog Jigme were arrested by the Chinese police in August 2011 and September this year respectively.

Jigme Gyatso alias Goril Jigme was arrested for his role in speaking to the international media about the Chinese authorities’ brutal crackdown on peaceful Tibetan protesters in Tibet in 2008.

He is undergoing treatment at an undisclosed prison hospital in Lanzhou in China for high blood pressure, heart and liver diseases. The authorities have turned down his relatives’ plea for amnesty. His relatives are deeply concerned about his debilitating health and fear he might die in prison.

Golog Jigme

Meanwhile, Golog Jigme, who was arbitrarily arrested many times for his alleged connection with the filming of Leaving Fear Behind (Tib: Jigdrel) during the height of widespread protests across Tibet in 2008, is missing since 9 September.

Last year, the Chinese authorities forced him to temporarily leave Labrang Monastery ahead of a visit there by the Chinese government-appointed Panchen Lama.

His relatives have been making frantic searches for his whereabouts after he left Labrang monastery for Tsoe town on 20 September this year, but to no avail. They fear that he is suffering interrogation and torture in police custody as the authorities have repeatedly harassed him in the recent months.